Counterpoint: Rainville's attention to July 4th mayhem was not a 'rant'

Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

The Star Tribune has reported on the fact that Minneapolis City Council Member Michael Rainville is the target of censure efforts by some of his fellow council members ("Rainville's critics keep after him," July 16). Myron Medcalf piled on this effort in his July 17 column by criticizing Rainville's "rant" about the involvement of Somali American youths in the downtown mayhem on July 4. Medcalf has been a welcome addition to the Star Tribune, but he is off-base in this instance.

I attended the community meeting where Rainville talked about the events of July 4, including his intent to meet with "elders" in the Somali community. His comments were nothing resembling a "rant." Most of the meeting was given to responding to the anger, comments and concerns of residents who were caught in the crossfire in the July 4th violence.

I witnessed the bedlam firsthand. I live at the corner of 2nd Street and Portland Avenue. I was kept awake until after 3 a.m. and recorded more than two dozen videos of the reckless and dangerous activity outside my home. That included the discharge of commercial-grade fireworks aimed at people, cars and buildings, including fireworks shot from the sunroofs and windows of moving vehicles as they raced up my street, blowing through stop signs and only narrowly avoiding collisions. I still have scorch marks in my windows and the brickwork of my building from that evening.

I can attest that on Portland Avenue, between 2nd Street and West River Parkway, a majority of the participants appeared to be Somali or from other East African communities. That is based on their language and their dress. They weren't alone, but they were a very significant majority. On my corner, they were clearly dominant.

Other groups from different communities may have been grouped on one or more other corners. There appeared to be a contest for control or dominance of the corner at Portland and 2nd. Mind you, this was not gang warfare, but it was a contest nonetheless, fought by parties armed with fireball cannons and other fireworks. These were not harmless sparklers or Roman candles; they were dangerous and illegal pyrotechnics.

The day following the July 4th "fireworks war," the Star Tribune itself reported that "2nd Street looking toward Portland was ground zero." That's my corner and where the Somali or other East African youths appear to have been concentrated in great numbers.

Medcalf's column complains that the conversation has shifted to the offender (Rainville) from the offended (the Somali community). That is perhaps a fair observation, but only marginally so. The conversation has indeed shifted, but mostly away from any discussion of the perpetuators, including — unfortunately, but undeniably — vast numbers of Somali youths. They don't appear to have been alone, but that does not excuse them or their fellow offenders.

Medcalf complains that they should be viewed as individuals and that their misbehavior should not tar an entire community. True.

At the same time, Rainville's attempt to listen to his community and to address the mayhem of July 4 should not become a distraction from the inexcusable event itself. Nor should his apology for an ill-chosen comment and his attempt at reconciliation become the focus of our conversation. He is actively attempting to address the destructive and violent behavior and to work with his community while he does so. I'd call that public service. And as he goes along, he appears to be willing to listen and to correct any missteps along his way. I'd call that learning.